AMC polls held peacefully, 55-60 percent turnout

Aurangabad: Election to 98 wards, out of
99, for the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which held
Sunday, was peaceful.

There some minor incidents of violence at three
to four places but police controlled it in time. According to
preliminary information, a total of 55 to 60 percentage of
voters exercised their franchise. Election officers are yet to
confirm the exact percentage.

In all, 7,00,223 voters were to vote to decide the
fate of 816 candidates. The polling started at 7.30 am in 618
booths today. 3,800 election officers and employees were
pressed into service and 4,000 police and security personnel
were deployed to ensure peaceful voting. 60 video cameras were
also affixed at various booths.

Baring a few incidents of violence, the voting was
peaceful. According to police, former minister of state
Gangadhar Gade and Shiv Sena leader Nandkumar Ghodele had
heated argument at a polling station in Kabirnagar, Ward 92.

The atmosphere became tense and police had to intervene and
control the situation.

At Chatrapati College polling booth, police had to
cane-charge activists of Congress and BJP when they got into
scuffle, police said. Similar tension was experienced in Ward
number 23 Masnatpur where supporters of two candidates
scuffled and voters started running away from booth. Police
used cane to restore peace.

In Ward number 7, two youths were detained by the
police on charges of bogus voting. Police said that these
youths are the residents of Shahabazar locality.

Meanwhile, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had
problems at two booths-one at Narlibagh veterinary hospital
centre and the other at the Jawaharnagar area. Voters had to
wait for about 40 minutes in queues for exercising their
franchises.

The Congress-NCP-SPA (Shahar Pragati Aghadi) combine
and BJP-Shiv Sena alliance had fielded their candidates and
claimed that they would grab power in this election. Pradeep
Jaiswal, the chief of SPA said, "The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP had
done nothing for the development of the city in last ten
years. This time the voters would surely give mandate for the
Congress-NCP-SPA front and we will be in power."

Satish Chauhan, NCP MLC said, "This is the first time
in last two decades that voters are seen voting for change and
development. The voters have voted to throw out the saffron
alliance who were good for nothing. They only wanted power for
their vested interests."

Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire said, "The people who
want this city to be Aurangabad had asked the voters to give
them the mandate and we asked the voters to vote for
Sambhajinagar. I am confident that the ruling saffron alliance
will regain power in the AMC. Notably, the counting would be
taken up on Monday.